Thread: Slant Bar first shave!

I got one of the Merkur short handle slant bar razors to try out. I put a fresh Gillette 7 O'Clock Sharp Edge Yellow blade and tried it this morning with Tiki Bar Salty Air soap and my new Finest Badger brush from Franks, so it was a new soap, new razor and new brush morning! Shave felt completely different than my DE89 and Parker 24C. I noticed less pulling and it definitely worked much better on my neck area than the 24C does. I got a couple of weepers and 1 tiny nick, all on my neck, so I need to stretch the skin flat a little more, but the results were worth it! I really focused on using no pressure like I would with the SR and that seemed to work well. Shave wasn't quite BBS smooth, a teeny tiny bit of fuzz left in some areas, but much better overall than my normal DE shave!

Welcome to the Merkur slant razor club, glad you like yours. Its one of my favourite DEs giving a smooth and comfortable shave while being not too aggressive.

Bob

I started with an EJ89, then tried a Parker Butterfly/TTO and the 24C open comb. 24C was great, but I think I will like the Merkur a bit better! It was a completely different feel and sound when shaving this morning. Even a brand new blade will often tug on my facial hair near the goatee area, the slant bar just went right on through. I felt some irritation, but I think it was because I used a SR for the past 2 days and my face was still a little tender (first day went OK, 2nd day with the SR in a row my face felt more irritation), so I will see how it is tomorrow. For the first time with the new brush/soap/razor, my neck was cleaner than most of my DE shaves with less clean up passes needed. There are some days I just stop because I know I will get razor burn and weepers if I go for the BBS on my neck/jawline area, but the slant bar seemed to cut more efficiently. I also got some other blades to try with it to see how they do.

The slant is one of my favorites. If I'm in a hurry with it I can get by with one pass.

I have the Merkur Sledge Hammer and it's a good razor. My DE shaving experiences didn't reach their Zenith until I purchased a razor from ATT. It's a family heirloom which will last a life time. I have three different plates but my favorite is the R. Three passes, some aftershave, and shaving baum. Life is Good.

Congrats on your shave with the slant. They're really good razors, and I always have one in my arsenal. The shaves are always close, comfortable, and consistently easy.

Originally Posted by taz575

I got one of the Merkur short handle slant bar razors to try out. I put a fresh Gillette 7 O'Clock Sharp Edge Yellow blade and tried it this morning with Tiki Bar Salty Air soap and my new Finest Badger brush from Franks, so it was a new soap, new razor and new brush morning! Shave felt completely different than my DE89 and Parker 24C. I noticed less pulling and it definitely worked much better on my neck area than the 24C does. I got a couple of weepers and 1 tiny nick, all on my neck, so I need to stretch the skin flat a little more, but the results were worth it! I really focused on using no pressure like I would with the SR and that seemed to work well. Shave wasn't quite BBS smooth, a teeny tiny bit of fuzz left in some areas, but much better overall than my normal DE shave!

I don't think you can beat a Slant for shaving with a safety razor.

I was very nervous the first shave with the 37c due to several warnings. Used a Feather blade, and it is a wonderful shaver. Enjoy.

Originally Posted by bcw

I was very nervous the first shave with the 37c due to several warnings. Used a Feather blade, and it is a wonderful shaver. Enjoy.

Yea, you read dire warnings about the deadly Merkur slant all over the place same with Feather blades. My guess is that most of the kerfluffle comes from brand new to DE shavers diving right in wanting to use a really bad azzed razor straight off the mark. No technique and a very sharp blade usually spell trouble.

Bob

I put a GSB blade into the slant to try it out. In my other razors (DE89, Parker 22R and 24C) I got wickedly painful shaves on my neck with that blade. It felt like I had 1000 papercuts on my neck. In the slant, nice, smooth and clean shave! Feather blade is next to try!